Extensible track



Nov. 9 1926.

G. J. GRUENDLER ET AL EXTENSIBLE TRACK Filed Oct. 5, 1925' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NOV. 9 g

G. J. GRUENDLER ET AL EXTENSIBLE TRACK Filed Oct- 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm Z Z W e M Q5 m Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

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GUSTAV J. GRUENDLEB, OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY, AND NICKOLAS W'INDBERG; ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI; SAID WINDBERG ASSIGNOR T SAID GRUENDLER.

EXTENSIBLE TRACK.

Application filed October 3, 1925. Serial No. 60,288.

Our invention relates to extensible tracks and more particularly to extensible tracks such as used in refrigerators having an ice contalner adapted to move outwardly through an opening in a wall of th-e ice coinpartment of the refrigerator.

l-lieretofore when an extensible track was used with refrigerators or other like devices and was adapted to be normally swung into a substantially vertical position inside an opening in the wall; of the device and was also adapted to be swung. downwardly into a substantially horizontal position to support an ice container or other unit adapted 3- to be moved outwardly through the opening in the wall, no convenient and reliable means had been provided to maintain the track in normal vertical position insidethe opening. Turn buttons have been provided in some cases to hold the track in normal position but this form of" satisfactory as too many manual operations were required to operate it.

Theobject of this invention is to provide a catch which is simple in operation and which will maintain an extensible track in substantially vertical position inside a. door opening.

Our invention is fully shown in the accompanying drawings wherein similar letters are used to designate similar parts: l is a cross section of a refrigerator embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of that part of the refrigerator upon which our invention is used; Fig. 3 shows details of construction.

In the embodiment of our invention.

shown in the figures, the refrigerator A has the ice compartment B positioned, preferably, at one end thereof and adapted to receive the ice container C. ;One wall, preferably the rear wall as shown, of the ice compartment B has an opening D therein which opening is normally closed by a door, not shown. The opening D has attached around its inner edge an inwardly ext-ending bead E, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The ice container C is provided at its lower end with wheels F which rest on rails G when the ice container is in the ice compartment. An extensible track H comprising a pair of rails J is swingably mounted at the lower edge of the opening D and, in the embodiment shown, on the outer ends of the rails G by means of links V and is adapted to itch was not be swung into a substantially horizontal position to serve as an extension of the-rails The track H is normally maintained in a substantially vertical position inside of the opening 1) by means hereinafter de scribed. The ice container C carries a shield K which, when the ice container is moved out of the ice. compartment onto the extensible tract: H, operates to close the opening in the wall of the refrigerator through which the ice container is moved as described and claimed in a prior patent issued to Gustav J. Gruendler,v one of the applicants herein, which patent was issued August 29, 1922 and is numbered 1,427,207.:

At the outer end of each of the rails J of the extensible track H is mounted a supporting member which in this form of our invention is a leg P. A downwardly projecting lug L is arranged at the end of each rail J and is adapted to engage thebifurcated end M of a leg P. A pin N extends through the lug L and the bifurcated end M whereby each of the legs P are hingedly mounted on the extensible track, all as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The legs P are connected by a stringer Q so that a movement of one leg is imparted tothe other of said means to the leg. As shown in the drawings, the pin N also passes through the base of the linger R.

The ice container 0 has the bottom thereof open so that the water from the melting ice. may drain therefrom and in order that this water will not drip onto the floor when the ice containeris moved out of the ice compartment a drip pan U is provided to extend between the rails J of the track H. When the track is moved into vertical position the water collected in the drip pan U is emptied into the space below the ice container in the ice compartment.

The operation of our new and improved extensible track is as follows :-When the ice container is to be moved out of the ice compartment B, the extensible track H is moved into a substantially horizontal position as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the legs P by their own weight will move into a position substantially at right angles to the extensible track H so as to support the track and the container when the container is moved out of the ice compartment. After the ice container has been charged it is moved into the ice compartment and into the position shown in Fig. 1 and the extensible track H is swung upwardly, as shown by the full lines in Fig. 1. The legs P are held at substantially right angles to the extensible track H until the track has been moved into position inside the opening. Then the outer ends of the legs P are moved downwardly into position along the extensible track, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the fingers R projecting from the end of each of the legs P engage the bead E at the upper edge of the opening D whereby the extensible track H is maintained in vertical position inside said opening. A door, not shown, is then moved to close the opening. When it is desired to move the extensible track H out of vertical position down in to horizontal position, the legs P are raised into the position shown by the dotted lines in the upper part of Fig. 1 thereby disengaging the iingers R from the bead E and allowing the extensible track to be swung downwardly into horizontal position.

WVhile in the drawings and specification herein we have shown and described our invention as applied to a refrigerator it may be readily understood that our extensible track may be used with a number of similar devices and still come within the scope of the invention as claimed. Also, the various parts of our device may be changed and varied within wide limits without deviating from the spirit of our invention.

What we clam as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a wall having an opening therein of a track swingably mounted at an edge of said opening so as to be movable about a substantially horizontal axis, a supporting member hingedly mounted on said track and arranged to support said track in horizontal position, and a catch mounted so as to be moved to engage said wall by a movement of said supporting member in relation to said track whereby said track may be maintained in a vertical position in said opening.

2. The combination with a wall having an opening therein of a track swingably mounted at the lower edge of said opening so as to be movable about a substantiallyhorizontal axis, a leg hingedly mounted near the outer end of said track and arranged to support said track in horizontal position and a catch mounted so as to be moved to engage said wall adjacent said opening by a movement of said leg in relation to said track whereby said track may be maintained in a vertical position.

3. The combination with a door frame of a track swingably mounted at the lower edge of said frame so as to be movable about a substantially horizontal axis, a pair of legs hingedly mounted near the outer end of said track and arranged to support said track in horizontal position, one of said legs having a finger extending longitudinally outward from the upper end thereof and adapted and arranged to engage the upper edge of said door frame when said track and said legs are moved into a substantially vertical position.

4:. The combination with a door frame of a track swingably mounted at the lower edge of said frame so as to be movable about a substantially horizontal axis, a pair of legs hingedly mounted near the outer edge of said track and arranged to support said track in horizontal position, a stringer connecting said legs so that movement of one of said legs will be imparted to the other of said legs, one of said legs having a finger extending longitudinally outward from the upper end thereof and adapted and arranged to engage the upper edge of said door frame when said track and said legs are moved inside of said opening into a substantially vertical position.

In witness whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

GUSTAV J. GBUENDLER. NICKOLAS WINDBERG.

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